At Raven Aerial Solutions, aerial surveying is only the beginning. Their true focus is revealing what lies beneath—dense vegetation, rough terrain, or complex construction sites—and transforming that hidden data into detailed, accurate deliverables. By combining advanced Wingtra LiDAR with the processing tools of LP360, they deliver accurate, decision-ready information for engineering, planning, and development projects.
Founded in 2016 and based out of a regional airport in Texas, Raven Aerial Solutions has grown into a geospatial powerhouse, led by CEO Amber Ross. “We’re a UAS service provider specializing in industrial, geospatial, and community-focused work,” said Ross. “Our operators are FAA-licensed, and we’ve fully integrated both Wingtra drones and LP360 software into our data collection and processing workflow.”
André Becker, a Senior Product Manager at Wingtra, chatted with Amber about recent changes and advancements in aerial mapping and to learn more about the overall workflow at Raven Aerial. “We no longer just deliver drone platforms,” he said. “We deliver aerial insights.” This transformation in mindset is precisely what sets the collaboration between Wingtra, LP360, and Raven Aerial Solutions apart. It’s not about flying drones; it’s about delivering meaningful, accurate, and highly detailed data products that drive better decision-making.
Ross shared three standout projects where the combination of Wingtra’s aerial platforms and LP360’s processing power enabled them to tackle complex terrain, deliver highly accurate data, and support engineering and planning teams with precision and speed.
1. Revealing the Ground Beneath: A 2,000-Acre Solar Development
Before Raven Aerial adopted LiDAR, dense vegetation and pre-development conditions often meant turning away large-scale projects. That changed with Wingtra’s VTOL platform and its LiDAR payload. “This project was a game-changer,” said Ross, referencing a 2,000-acre solar farm development in New Mexico. “The ability to fly over such a large area and capture highly detailed surface models—despite the vegetation—allowed us to support engineering teams with deliverables we couldn’t have produced before.”
Once the data was captured, it was LP360 that helped transform it. “We post-process everything in the field to check for completeness and accuracy. But the real magic happens in the office with LP360,” Ross explained. “The classification tools handled the complexity of this massive site exceptionally well.”
According to LP360 Support Technician Eian Davis, the power lies in the software’s ability to interpret LiDAR’s multiple returns. “LP360 can isolate and extract the returns from dense vegetation, enabling ground classification even under canopy,” said Davis. “Our AI-powered classification, traditional methods, and cloud-based options give users flexibility based on project needs.” The result? Highly accurate terrain models used in the site planning and verification phases—delivered efficiently and affordably, without relying on manned aircraft.
Ross also shared a post-construction view of the solar farm site, highlighting how LP360 was used to colorize point clouds, model ground surfaces, and visualize terrain underneath and between installed solar arrays. “The accuracy is incredible. The panels and the terrain beneath them show up so clearly,” she noted.
2. Airport Drainage Analysis: Precision in a Complex Airspace
Raven Aerial’s second showcase project took them back to their home turf: the regional airport where their office is based. With recent runway construction and expansion plans underway, the airport needed a reliable drainage study.
This wasn’t a job for RGB imagery alone. As Ross explained, “RGB cameras can only see the surface. We needed penetration to map the terrain beneath brush and cover.” Wingtra’s LiDAR enabled that penetration, and LP360 did the rest.
“Slope DEMs are incredibly valuable in flat terrain,” Davis explained. “LP360 highlights even subtle changes in elevation. With colorized point clouds, you can easily distinguish between natural and manmade features, which helps with interpretation and classification.”
The project also showcased LP360’s ability to handle colorized point clouds, a process Ross initially approached with skepticism. “At first, I didn’t like the idea of flying twice—once for RGB and once for LiDAR,” she said. “But now, I actually love it. Having two independent datasets lets us verify accuracy and spot inconsistencies.”
Becker emphasized the benefit of integration. “With LP360, users can fuse the RGB and Wingtra LiDAR data to create enhanced deliverables,” he said. “It’s a comprehensive solution that goes far beyond flight.”
Ross used LP360 to produce a ground-classified surface model, slope analysis, and drainage maps that were delivered to airport engineers. The feedback? “They loved it,” she smiled. “It was accurate, fast, and ready for immediate use in planning and engineering.”
3. Digital Twins for Pro Golf Events: From Engineering to Experience
The final project took a creative turn: mapping a high-end golf course to support digital twin modeling for a professional golf course.
“This was a fun departure from our typical engineering jobs,” said Ross. “Instead of stripping away vegetation, we needed to capture all the details: tree canopies, terrain features, infrastructure. Everything had to be preserved.”
Using both LiDAR and RGB imagery, Raven created a rich 3D point cloud. The data was then processed in LP360 and exported for rendering in platforms like Unreal Engine. The result? A stunning flythrough of the course, complete with birds, players, and event structures—all based on the real data Raven had collected.
Becker called it a great example of how aerial data can be repurposed. “This is more than just topography,” he said. “It’s about experience. That’s what aerial insights really mean.”
Davis also noted LP360’s utility for this kind of modeling. “We have tree segmentation tools, canopy height models, and immersive 3D views. Even though LP360 isn’t a rendering tool, it provides the high-fidelity data that creative software needs.”
Ross was equally impressed. “What blew my mind was how real the model felt. We collected the data in winter—the trees were bare. But once the model was built and visualized, it looked like summer. It was incredible.”
Support Matters with Hardware and Software
One thing that came through clearly in all three projects was the importance of collaboration between hardware, software, and support teams.
“We would not be doing this if the support from Wingtra and LP360 weren’t what it is,” Ross emphasized. “Eian has guided us every step of the way in LP360. It’s not just about selling us software. It’s about helping us succeed.”
Davis confirmed that LP360’s mission is to empower users. “Whether it’s classification, contour generation, breakline enforcement, or volumetrics, we offer live support, documentation, and custom training. We want users to feel confident in what they deliver.”
Becker agreed. “We build our tools to be intuitive, even for teams who don’t map every day. But when projects are high stakes, like airports or solar farms, you want responsive support. And we’re there.”
Putting it All Together
The partnership between Raven Aerial Solutions, Wingtra, and LP360 represents the cutting edge of what’s possible in geospatial data capture and delivery. From civil engineering to event planning, they are building smarter workflows, faster turnarounds, and better insights.
And while it might start with a flight plan, it always ends with LP360.
“We’re not just flying drones anymore,” said Ross. “We’re delivering decision-ready data. And with LP360, we know we’re delivering the best version of it possible.”
Why LP360 is the Ideal Partner for Wingtra LiDAR Data For users capturing 3D data with Wingtra’s new LiDAR solution, LP360 Drone software is the key to unlocking its full potential. LP360 allows users to process, analyze, and colorize Wingtra LiDAR survey data with precision and ease, creating enhanced deliverables ready for engineering, planning, and environmental applications.
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With LP360, users can efficiently manage coordinate systems, perform QC/QA with automated ground control detection and 3D correction, and access a complete suite of advanced tools for smoothing, outlier removal, classification, breakline enforcement, DTM generation, contour creation, CAD export, and volumetric analysis.
Optional LP360 Cloud Extensions take projects even further, allowing teams to store, share, and stream their data effortlessly. Thanks to LP360’s customizable interface and three synchronized viewing windows, users can build workflows tailored to their specific project needs.
The recommended LP360 Drone Bundle for Wingtra users—including LP360 Drone, Strip Align for Drone, Photo add-ons, and unlimited processing—is available for just $5,415 per year, making it an unbeatable companion to Wingtra’s high-performance aerial mapping systems.